LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session January 29, 2001 TO: Honorable Mike Moncrief, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: SB62 by Moncrief (Relating to county and public health district fees in certain populous counties.), As Introduced ************************************************************************** * No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** Local Government Impact The bill would authorize counties with a population of at least one million to charge a fee for issuing or renewing a permit or for performing an inspection to enforce Chapter 437 Health and Safety Code rules. The bill would take effect September 1, 2001. Current law authorizes counties with a population of at least 2.8 million and public health districts that at least part of which are located in a county with 2.8 million to charge a fee for the described services. Only Harris County currently meets the population requirement. The current statute also limits the amount of the fees to allow the county to recover up to 50 percent of the annual expenditures for processing permits and conducting inspections, although the fees cannot exceed $300. Counties that would be eligible to charge fees under the provisions of the bill are Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, and Harris. Harris County is already eligible under current statutes and charges fees of $250. There would be no change to the population requirement for a public health district; therefore, there would be no change in eligible public health districts that could charge a fee. Eligible counties would experience a revenue gain that would offset at least half of their expenses related to each identified responsibility or $300 per permit or inspection, whichever is less. Source Agencies: 501 Texas Department of Health LBB Staff: JK, HD, DB, RM